A/N: This story is already fully written, as I have been working on it on and off for a few years. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Harry waved to Hermione and Ron as they exited the Headmaster's office. The young couple intended to return to the Great Hall and join the rest of the Weasleys. Harry, however, was exhausted and had no wish to appear in public at the present moment. He knew he would not be able to escape it for long, but he needed some time to himself – and some rest.

He walked slowly towards the Gryffindor tower, taking in the crumbled walls and destroyed classrooms. Hogwarts used to feel like home to him, and it was hard to see the castle in such a state. The feeling of safety he had long associated with the ancient halls was gone. He remembered Neville and his gang hiding in the Room of Requirement from the Carrows and shuddered. If seeing the aftermath of the battle was already hard, would the students tortured and hunted by the Death Eaters during the school year ever manage to find solace in the castle? At least, his own memories were only tainted by the battle.

Harry finally reached the portrait hole, but the Fat Lady was not in her frame – probably still hiding, or maybe celebrating with her friends. Not that it mattered much. The door was ajar, and he could hear several voices from within.

He stopped. The people inside were probably as tired as he was, but he knew he would not be able to accept any kind of attention right now, be it a smile for vanquishing Voldemort or a slap for bringing the battle to Hogwarts in the first place.

He stood there, uncertain, for several long minutes. He knew he should probably go to the infirmary, but he felt okay enough to wait – and he had no wish to see dozens of wounded. The other Common Rooms were probably crowded as well, or would be soon.

Again, he remembered Neville hiding in the Room of Requirement and decided to imitate his friend, provided the room had indeed survived the Fiendfyre.

With a tired groan, he turned around and dragged his body to the tapestry that marked the entrance of the most impressive room of Hogwarts, and walked back and forth three times while silently begging for a place to rest for a few hours.

An innocent looking door opened, and when he opened it Harry found a replica of his old dorm, except that only one bed was present. With a grateful smile, he climbed onto it and fell asleep.

He awoke gasping and sweating, his mind reeling from vivid nightmares depicting his friends and family dying or crucioed. He laid there, panting, as he slowly sorted through the images and his memories in an effort to remember who was still alive and who had indeed died. That last list was far too long and Harry barely had the time to run to the sink that appeared before he vomited.

Trembling, he rinsed his mouth and splashed some cold water on his face before sitting on the floor, his back resting against the bed.

A small knock interrupted his thoughts.

''Harry? Are you in there?''

He recognised the voice and nodded, before realizing that she could not see him and spoke up in a tired voice. He did not know how long he had actually slept, but he doubted it was more than a couple hours.

''You can come in, Ginny.''

He watched as she opened the door and slipped into the room before going to sit beside him. ''I guessed you would be here when I couldn't find you in Gryffindor Tower.''

Staring at the wall in front of them, she asked. ''Are you all right?''

He shook his head. ''I am alive.'' He offered with a shrug. At this point, he was not sure it was the best option. The memory of his parents, Sirius and Remus' ghosts summoned by the Resurrection Stone flashed through his mind.

Tentatively, he raised his arm to hug the young woman's shoulders. ''And you?'' He asked.

She shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder, crying softly.

They remained like this long after Ginny's sobs had subsided and Harry's silent tears had dried. They knew they had a lot to talk about, but for now they were content with the knowledge that they were both alive, and that the war was over. The dead were numerous, and Harry dreaded the burials, but he was also relieved that he would no longer have to listen to Potterwatch with the fear of hearing the name of another friend as casualty of the war.

''I wish I had had more time. With everyone.'' He said suddenly. Ginny looked up with a raised eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate.

''I don't really have any memories of my parents. Sirius died two years after I met him, and was on the run most of that time. Remus was often busy with the Order, and I shouted at him one of the last time I saw him…''

Ginny kissed his cheek in quiet support before she raised and helped him up. ''Come on. Time to go and join the family.''

With a sad smile, he followed her to the door, still wishing he had had more time with his family. Lost in his mind, he collided into the red-head when she stopped abruptly on the other side of the door. Looking over her shoulder, he realized what had perturbed her.

In front of them, in place of the cracked wall and shattered window, was a spotlessly clean and whole corridor, the sun obviously setting over the lake.

''Harry'' Ginny whispered as she drew her wand ''It was night when I entered that room, right?''

Nodding even though he had no actual idea of exactly when Ginny joined him, the young man drew his wand as well, wondering what kind of trouble they had stumbled in – again.

They advanced slowly, both because they were wary of what had happened to restore the castle so quickly and because Harry was exhausted and had trouble keeping his balance. Ginny slipped under his arm to support him, stealing a glance once in a while in increasing worry. Though he was quite obviously alive, she knew not what had happened for Voldemort to believe him dead and feared that he was more hurt than he let on. Wordlessly, she steered him downstairs, confident that her family and Mrs Pomfrey would be in the Great Hall.

As they approached, they heard the tell-tale sounds of people celebrating. They paused. Though the war had been won, people had been more focused on the loss of loved ones than the actual victory, and the ambiance was far from festive when they had left. Ginny shook her head. It seemed they had spent more time in the Room of Requirement than they had first thought. Still, it was odd that people would have chosen to celebrate in the Great Hall, where they had moved all the bodies.

The doors were closed, and Ginny pushed them open them with her foot since she was still supporting Harry and holding her wand – just in case.

She was nearly blinded by the many candles lighting the Hall and stared, dumbfounded, at the hundreds of students merrily eating what looked like a start or end of term feast.

James grinned as the food finally appeared on the table. The Sorting was always entertaining, but right now he was more eager to enjoy his last welcoming feast in Hogwarts than looking at children he would not really interact much with, even as Head Boy.

Thinking of his new badge led his thoughts to the girl who wore the Head Girl one: Lily Evans. He had pursued her for years, and hoped to finally earn a date with her before Christmas. He knew the young woman had long considered him immature – and in many ways, he had been, he thought ruefully – but this year he felt that he truly had a chance.

First, their duties would force them to interact more with each other. Second, he knew that the last six months had changed him quite a lot. From Sirius' attempt to send Snape to the Shrieking Shack during the full moon, to his uncle's death against one of Voldemort's followers and Sirius fleeing his home, he felt that he was no longer a stupid child.

However, he still believed strongly in laughter and was thus soon involved with his three friends in a discussion to plan their traditional welcoming prank. It was their last one, after all. They had to make it count.

He raised his head shortly after the main courses appeared, when the Hall suddenly became unusually quiet, and turned towards the doors that had opened unexpectedly.

A red-headed young woman was supporting a black-haired man. Both were dirty, the young man even more so with grim smeared on his face as though he had unsuccessfully attempted to clean it. They seemed to have small cuts and many bruises, and were staring open-mouthed at the students and the Head Table, wands held out in front of them as though expecting some sort of attack.

Then the man collapsed.

With an alarmed cry, the young woman kneeled as she felt his weight and laid him on the floor. Meanwhile, Mrs Pomfrey, Dumbledore and a few other teachers had risen and were quickly crossing the room to the young couple.

When they had nearly reached them, the young woman turned around, wand ready and eyes haunted. James noticed her eyes widen when they fell on the Headmaster, but the sight of the powerful wizard did not convince her to let down her guard as he had expected her to. After a few seconds where no one dared to move, she very slowly lowered her arm and pleaded the nurse to help the young man. A stretcher was summoned and Dumbledore followed the nurse and her new patients out of the room after advising the students to enjoy the rest of the feast.

Sirius let out a long and low whistle. ''Wow! Did you see that? For a second, I really thought that girl was gonna hex the teachers!''

Remus nodded. ''Yeah. And that guy just collapsed. I mean, where the hell did they come from? Seems their last few hours must have been pretty rough.''

James played with his food, not quite as hungry as he had been a few minutes ago. ''Wish we had the map right now, to find out who they are.'' He commented.

''Do you think they are aurors who just fought You-Know-Who's followers?'' Peter wondered.

Remus shook his head. ''Nah, they seem too young to be aurors. I think they are closer to our age, give or take a year.''

Sirius looked at his friend oddly. ''Then why the hell haven't we seen them before? And there are not that many wars going on, Moony.''

The young werewolf sighed, exasperated. ''I didn't say they had not been fighting, I said they were too young to be aurors. It doesn't mean they did not find some trouble on their own.''

''Well, I guess we will find out soon enough.'' James concluded with a shrug.

Harry awoke slowly and groaned when he recognized the ceiling of the Hospital wing. That he could do so instantly certainly said something of the unusual amount of time he had spent there over the years. Sighing, he started to sit up in the bed but felt Ginny immediately push him down again.

''No, you don't! I should have guessed you hadn't even bothered to have a check-up before isolating yourself. Mrs Pomfrey will examine you, and then we will try and understand what the hell we are doing here.'' She ranted, worry and exasperation clear in her voice as she whispered the last part.

Harry looked around and closed his eyes when he saw Albus Dumbledore looking curiously at him.

''Merlin, I can't deal with this right now!''

''Well, you do not have to, Mister.'' Mrs Pomfrey said authoritatively. ''Now, remove your shirt. One of my diagnosis spell is showing some weird results.''

With a sigh, he sat up to remove his shirt while Ginny arranged the pillows behind his back. He barely had the time to settle more comfortably before the nurse began reciting a complex spell, making colours and signs appear on his skin. She repeated the action three times, each with a different spell, and with increasing frustration.

''You suffer from exhaustion, starvation, several cuts and bruises ranging from mild to severe – all of which are healed or healing as we speak – and this one cut on your chest. That cut bothers me, I confess. It is not bleeding nor deep, but I cannot close it or even determine its origin. Do you recall what curse hit you there? Or at least its colour?'' The matron asked.

Harry looked at his chest and, remembering the forest, was not really surprised to see a lightning bolt shaped cut over his heart. Looking at Dumbledore and Ginny, he realized that they had, somehow, travelled to the past – and several years since neither the Headmaster nor the nurse had recognized him or Ginny. Or, he was dreaming, but this was much weirder than his usual dreams.

Knowing that, he found himself unsure how to answer. Wasn't it dangerous to meddle with time? And when exactly were they? And how? No one had ever told him the Room of Requirement could accomplish such a thing!

''Err…'' He started eloquently. ''There's no need to worry about that. It will heal on its own.''

The matron raised her eyebrows, clearly unimpressed. ''And how would you know that?''

Harry shifted and glanced apologetically at Ginny. ''Well, I have experienced the same curse before, with the same results. Up here.'' He added while pointing at his forehead.

Ginny startled and stared at him. He offered her an apologetic smile – he had not exactly planned to drop such a bombshell on her but could think of no other way to convince the matron without explaining his whole history. Meanwhile, the nurse and Dumbledore both started to cast spells at his famous scar.

The matron eventually gave up with a shrug, while Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with fascination.

''It seems that the two of you have travelled quite far.'' He commented. ''I believe I shall start by giving you today's date: we are September 1st, 1977. Oh, and we are Thursday.''

Ginny stared at her former Headmaster. ''You know?'' She asked, surprised.

Dumbledore smiled. ''I have always been good at guessing, Miss. And I am also an old wizard who knows many spells, which allowed me to identify the curse your young friend was hit with – twice. I confess I did not believe the results at first, but all my spells gave the same answer, as unbelievable as it is. Therefore, I would guess that you have come from the future, as I have never heard of someone surviving the Killing Curse and such an event would probably cause quite a stir in our community. Also, one of the perks of being an old Headmaster is that I know at least the face of all the young witches and wizards – and even those that are home-schooled, few as they are – and yours are unknown.''

''The Killing Curse?'' The nurse shouted before turning towards Harry and casting another dozen of diagnosis spells.

The young man grimaced. ''Well, it's kind of a long story. And I am not sure how much we are supposed to say. Time travel and all that.''

Ginny snorted and glared at him. ''You better tell me the whole story soon, Harry. Or I swear I will hex you back to our time.''

Dumbledore chuckled. ''Well, perhaps we will not have to take such drastic measures. Harry, right?'' The young man nodded. ''Regarding time travel, the generally admitted theory is that the main danger is when you interact with yourself or big events. Otherwise, Magic seems to be able to adjust most minor events. In fact, there is also a theory that time is not as linear as we perceive it and thus time travel has, in truth, no consequences for it has always happened.''

Conjuring a comfortable armchair, the Headmaster sat down and continued. ''Simply put, I would advise you not to interfere with important events, but do not torture yourselves too much about all the possible consequences of your every actions. As for your story, I will need your names, when you are from and how you ended up here. Then we may try to find a way to return the two of you to your proper era.''

Harry stayed silent, unsure of what he could say. He was still feeling conflicted regarding the old wizard. Yes, he had been a mentor to him, and had hoped that Voldemort's decision to use Harry's blood would save him in the end. But he had still planned Harry's death for years, placed him with the Dursleys, forced Sirius to remain in Square Grimmauld… The list went on. All the revelations were too recent for Harry to have sorted out just how he felt about Dumbledore, and he wasn't sure he wanted to give him knowledge of the future.

Mrs Pomfrey, now convinced that she could do no more for the young man from the future, turned towards Ginny. ''Your turn, Miss. And don't bother protesting, I can see the bruises from here.''

Stiffly, Ginny went to sit on the bed next to Harry and allowed the nurse to cast diagnostic spells on her while she answered the old wizard, taking the decision from Harry. ''My name is Ginny Weasley, and this is Harry Potter. I am sixteen, he is seventeen, and we come from May 2nd or 3rd, 1998. As for how we ended up here, I am not sure. We were in the Room of Requirement, but when we left it we were here.''

Harry nodded approvingly. It contained basically no information on what happened in their era, except for their births and bloodlines.

''This room can become anything you need it to be, but I had no idea it could make you travel through time.'' He added, knowing that the old wizard would need the information if he were to help them return to where they came from.

''I am not familiar with that room.'' Dumbledore said. ''How does it work? Do you know of any limitations it has?''

Ginny nodded. ''You have to walk in front of it, thinking of what you want. Once the door appears and you are inside, it can adapt to your further demands. I know it can provide you a passage to Hogsmeade. And it cannot conjure food.'' She summarized.

Dumbledore smiled. ''So we may know the tool that allowed you to travel. The next question, I suppose, is why? What did you wish for that could only be achieved with time travel to this particular era?''

Harry cleared his throat. ''I think that is my fault, Sir. I… I wished for more time with some people who, I believe, are currently students at Hogwarts. Sorry, Ginny.''

She shook her head and shrugged. ''There are people I miss here too.''

''Ah, yes. An old rule of Magic.'' the old wizard commented. ''There is no way to bring back a dead person, but I suppose you can travel back to when that person was alive. Am I right to assume at least one of the people you wanted to spend time with was Mr James Potter? Given your age and when you come from, I'd hazard a guess that you are his son.''

He nodded. ''I am. Are you sure it is safe for you to know that?''

''Well, I do not intend to interfere, and there are spells and potions we could use to suppress specific memories if you consider it absolutely necessary. However, I must confess that I am more worried about your safety. As I am sure you know, there is a war outside these halls, and Lord Voldemort would certainly be interested in a couple of time-travelers. Though it pains me to admit it, some of the young people studying here may report to him.''

He raised from his seat. ''Therefore, I would advise you to avoid spreading your story around. We will use the cover story of you two being exchange students, but unfortunately involved in an attack that prevented you from boarding the Express. You were sent here by portkey as the aurors that intervened were confident that Mrs Pomfrey could fix you up.''

Ginny stared at the Headmaster. ''It is somewhat frightening that you can come up with a plausible story so quickly.'' She declared, deadpan.

The old wizard chuckled and left, saying he was going to fetch the Deputy Headmistress to arrange everything.

The nurse, who had quietly examined Ginny while they talked with Dumbledore, intervened. ''Well, Miss Weasley, you are good to go. You have quite a few scars on your back. They are too old for me to make them disappear, but taking this potion for a few days should help them fade.'' She handed her a box of vials.

The young woman nodded and quickly grabbed the box, ignoring Harry's questioning and worried look. ''Later.'' She said.

The Headmaster quickly returned with Professor McGonagall. Harry smiled. That was one person of whom he had never had any reason to question the loyalty.

''Now, I need to know what year and House you should be in. I have explained the main points of your story to Minerva. You will attend the classes until you have spent enough time with the people you need. Then, I believe this Room of Requirement will provide you a passage back to your own time.''

Harry frowned. ''It sounds strangely easy.''

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. ''Oh, you would be surprised how much time scholars and Unspeakables could spend debating the whys and hows of your situation. But for us, we simply need the plan to work. In fact, I believe the most complicated part will be for both of you to truly wish to return. Please, do not lose yourselves in the joy of seeing loved ones again, or you will waste away your own lives, and I do not think that is what any parent would wish for their child.'' He paused. ''So, year and house?''

''Err…'' Harry started. ''Well, I had to stop my studies for a while, but I completed my sixth year about a year ago. So, I'd say Gryffindor, Seventh year. Ginny?'' He prompted, unsure of whether she should redo her sixth year or go forward with her seventh and last year. From what he had heard, Hogwarts had not been the best place to learn last year, and she had been forced to go into hiding around Easter.

''Same for me. I may need some extra work since I missed the last few months of Sixth, but I have no wish to go through those classes again.''

McGonagall and Dumbledore stared silently at the haunted look on the young woman's face. Their words, along with Ginny's whip scars quietly mentioned by Mrs Pomfrey when they came in, made the professors wonder why and how Hogwarts had apparently stopped being a safe haven in the future. Was the war still going so long in the future? Were they just at the beginning of a conflict so long that a new generation would have the time to grow and join the fight? Was it even over yet in the time those two came from?

Shaking her head, Minerva spoke up for the first time. ''Very well. As soon as you each have decided on a new name, I will escort you to Gryffindor Tower. I am afraid it would be difficult to explain the sudden appearance of a second Potter, and the name Weasley is simply too well-known as well. Just change your last name, and pick something you will remember easily.''

Ginny thought for a moment. ''I'll go with Ginny Granger.''

Harry smiled. The name was muggleborn, and the four of them had spent so much time together that they all reacted to any of their four names. He toyed with the idea of picking the name Lovegood, but decided that Luna's father was probably too noticeable for the name to be innocent enough.

''And I'll be Harry Wood.'' He finally chose with a smile. His old captain was half-blood, and the name was quite common.

''Good. Now follow me. And, please, remember that you do not yet know your way around the castle. You just arrived, after all.''